Never Let You Go
by Withoutatracelover996
Summary: Castle and Beckett are busy navigating their newfound romantic life when they run into a case that will place the pair in spine-chilling danger. Will they live to see another day? Or will this be the investigation that will tear them apart forever... NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, this is my first Castle story. I hope I do the characters justice! Thanks for stopping by ;) Set after S4 finale, but only includes the hook up - doesn't have to do with Joanna's murder.**

Kate ran her fingers up Castle's chest, feeling the bumps of his skin and light sprinkling of hair covering his torso. He sighed next to her, and his blue eyes opened lazily, focusing on her sparkling green ones.

"Morning," she smiled.

Castle reached over to lay a gentle kiss on her lips, "Good morning to you." Castle watched her as she sat up a little, preparing to get out of bed.

Kate noticed Castle's eyes on her, and turned towards him, "What?" she smiled.

"You're beautiful," Castle said; sleep causing his voice to sound unusually gravelly.

Kate rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips, "Come on, we're going to be late."

Castle groaned loudly as he rolled over to the other side of the bed, "Aren't you just doing paperwork today?"

"Um, no. _We _are doing paperwork today," Kate said as she pulled a tank-top over her head. "Don't think you can stay in bed all day while I do all of the grunt work."

"Excuse me, but I did all of the grunt work last night. I think it's your turn," Castle said as he pulled himself out of bed.

Kate smirked, giving him a long look. "You have twenty minutes to get ready," she threw him a blue shirt. "Or else I'll be stuck at work all day - maybe even all night..."

Castle's eyes widened in mock fear, "We can't have that now, can we?"

"Come on, Castle," Kate said, leaving the bedroom.

"Hey, come back! Morning banter hasn't been this good since last Wednesday," Castle called after Kate, lighthearted disappointment lacing his words.

"Just wait until Saturday," Kate called from the kitchen.

"Oh, really?" Castle said to himself, raising his eyebrows mischievously.

He pulled some pants on and ducked his head under the bed to find the socks he had kicked under there the week before.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked, two coffee mugs in hand.

Castle lifted his head quickly at the sound of her voice, resulting in it slamming into the roof of the bed frame. "Ouch," he squeezed his eyes shut.

"You ok under there?" Kate asked.

"Yeah," Castle said, opening his eyes. "Hey, I found my socks," he said as he pulled back out from under the bed, holding them up.

Kate frowned, "Castle, I don't think those are - "

Castle dropped the balled up underwear with a look of disgust on his face, "Aah, ew."

"Those aren't mine," Kate remarked.

"Alexis!" Castle called, his face turning red.

"Dad, what?" Alexis came in, still half-asleep. "It's like seven in the morning, I'm supposed to be sleeping in today."

"You must have left something here when you were folding your laundry yesterday," Castle said, pointing to the underwear.

Alexis looked at Kate, then back at her dad. Her face quickly reddened, and she hurried to pick up the underwear, "Sorry."

Castle waited until his daughter had left the bedroom. "That was awkward."

"It's ok, Castle. You're just not used to seeing panties under your bed, right?" Kate teased.

"Not my daughter's," Castle grimaced dramatically.

"Ok, stop stalling and let's get going," Kate said with a sly smile.

"Yes, I know," Castle sighed, "Paperwork here I come."

"There you go, that's the spirit."

"Kill me now," he mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

**Ok so there was a small taste of my writing style. Please let me know if you think the characters need tweaking, or of any errors. Like I said, I've never written Castle FanFiction so I'm still working out the kinks in writing Castle and Beckett. Most of all, please let me know if you'd like to read more!**

**Thanks again for reading :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for your kind reviews! I'm glad I did the characters justice. I'm going away to Europe on Sunday so I won't be updating for a few weeks. I might be able to get in one more chapter after this one before I leave if I have a little time and a lot of inspiration (lots comes from you guys, your comments make me excited to write and I appreciate them, so thank you). Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

"Yo, Beckett," Esposito called as Kate exited the elevator.

"Hey, where's the fire?" Kate asked jokingly.

"We just got a call on another body," Esposito said, his expression grave. "Our riddle killer is back."

"What?" Kate asked, picking up the pace towards her desk. "He hasn't been active for months, why has he started killing again?"

"I don't know, but Kate," Esposito said, "It's the Council President, Travis Locklyn."

"Travis Locklyn is dead?" Castle said as he arrived into the station, coffees in hand. "I know him, he's a colleague of the Mayor's."

"Were you friend's with him?" Kate asked.

"No, more of acquaintances," Castle said, his voice sounding detached. After a brief pause, Castle seemed to pull it together, "We have to go talk to the Mayor, he's got to be crushed."

"Hold on, Castle," Kate said, "Are you going to be able to be objective on this one?"

Castle gave her a pointed look, "Just because I said 'hi' to the guy once or twice, doesn't mean I'm going to do something stupid."

Kate raised an eyebrow at him, "Right. I would never expect that from you, Castle."

"Right, I would never expect that from you, Castle," Rick mocked in a mumbly, high-pitched voice.

Kate ignored him, turning her attention to Esposito, "Did the first responders find a note?"

Esposito looked down at the open file in his hands, flipping through a few pages. "It doesn't look like it."

"Ok, well let's go then."

* * *

"So you're saying this is a serial killer case?" Rick asked, excitement pouring out of him.

"Don't sound so disappointed," Kate said sarcastically.

"How come I've never heard of this guy? Where was I when you worked the investigation?" Castle asked.

"Eight months ago? I believe you were on vacation when this case popped up," Kate said. "Away on some hot sandy beach while we were here, hunting down a serial killer in the freezing cold."

"I invited you to come with me," Castle pointed out with a cocked head and raised eyebrow. After getting no response from Beckett, he continued. "So the guy likes to leave notes at the crime scenes, huh? Is that why you call him the riddle killer?"

"Yes, Castle. That's why we call him the riddle killer," Kate said, turning the steering wheel to the left. Her patience was quickly running out after twenty minutes of endless questioning from the writer in the passenger seat.

"Ok, ok. One last question," Castle started.

"We're here," Kate said, pulling the car to a stop, turning off the engine, undoing her seatbelt and climbing out of the vehicle in one swift motion.

"I was just going to ask if we could stop for a bathroom break," Castle muttered as he scrambled out of the car after his partner.

Castle caught up to Beckett as she peered at the body laying unceremoniously behind the City Hall.

"Have you found any sign of a note yet?" Kate asked Lanie, the best Medical Examiner in the city.

"Not yet, but I'll probably find it when I do the autopsy," Lanie stated.

Rick made a disgusted face, "Why do you say that?"

"That's where all the other notes were found," she shrugged.

"Our first vic was a big shot lawyer, Carson Polinski. We found him outside of his law office eight months ago with a note tattood on what was left of the underside of his tongue. It said, 'Liars will lose their gift of gab, and shortly after their hearts I will nab'," Kate recited.

"Hey, he's a poet and he doesn't even know it!" Castle said, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

"Then," Kate continued, ignoring Rick's comment, "It was Carrie Neeren, a world renowned open heart surgeon. We found her outside of the hospital she worked at about two weeks after we found Carson. We found the note stuffed into a tube, then wedged into the superior vena cava in her heart. The riddle said, 'Playing God is quite the career, I would have elected for something more conservative, My Dear.'"

Castle frowned, "Did you ever figure out what the notes meant?"

"Well they're pretty straightforward, Castle. This guy doesn't like people who are good at what they do, and he wants to make them pay," Kate said.

"Yeah but... Can you write those riddles down for me?" he asked.

Kate looked at him, trying to figure out where he was going with his line of questioning before quickly scribbling down the riddles from memory.

Castle eagerly took the paper from Kate's hand and read the words written there. "I knew it! See, look. 'Shortly after their hearts I will nab'? Then he kills a heart surgeon? How about the next one, 'I would have elected for something more conservative'. Who's our next victim? A President of Council. These aren't random notes, they're clues pointing to his next victims!"

Kate took the paper from Castle's hands, scanning the words even though they were already burned into her brain. "We have to show this to Gates."

"Where do you think we'll find the next note? He's a politician so... maybe it's in his stomach? I don't know. I'm grapsing at straws here," Castle said.

"Maybe Lanie should check up his ass," Kate said, walking towards Esposito and Ryan.

"Hey, that's a good one!" Rick called as he hurried after her.

* * *

_So much success. To be the best, oh. How I crave it. And I shall. The police have yet to catch me, and soon I will be compared to the greatest of serial killers - Bundy, Manson, Pickton. But my name will rise above the rest... Rippner. The world will fear me. _

_I. Am. Unstoppable._

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reading, and if you have a moment I'd love to hear what you think about the story so far. I hope everyone has a great week!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for your reviews :). I found a little time today to write, so you guys get one more chapter before I leave for Europe later tonight. Hope you enjoy it! **

"Travis was a friend," Mayor Weldon said as he poured himself a glass of whiskey from the mini fridge sitting next to his desk. "I hope you don't mind," he said, gesturing to his drink.

"No, of course not," Castle said.

Kate gave him a short glare, before turning her attention back to Weldon. "Mr. Mayor, do you know if Travis had any enemies?"

"No, Travis was a good man. He was very driven; when he wanted something, he went out and got it. Nothing could stop Travis," the Mayor recalled.

"And that never got him into any trouble?" Castle inquired.

The Mayor pondered the question for a moment, "There were a few stepped on toes here and there, but nothing notable."

"What about Locklyn's schedule? Was he a fairly predictable man?" Kate asked.

"Oh yes. Travis arrived every morning at seven, and left at eight-thirty in the evening, Monday through Thursday," Mayor Weldon nodded. "Of course, that was up until he disappeared eight days ago. I thought maybe the pressure was getting to him, but obviously, that wasn't the case."

"Thank you, Mayor," Kate said, standing up to shake his hand.

"I hope I could be of some assistance," the Mayor returned her handshake.

Castle approached the Mayor's desk, "Are you ok? Do you need anything?"

"No, Rick. I'll miss him and it'll be hard to find a replacement for such a fine politician; but I'll manage," the Mayor said.

Castle nodded sombrely, "I'll see you later, buddy."

* * *

"I just feel bad for him. You know how it is, you work long hours with the same people and it's just not the same when they're gone," Castle said.

"Yeah, I know, Castle," Kate said.

Castle realized he had struck a chord, and changed the subject. "Were all of the victims missing before they showed up dead?"

"Yes, and always for eight days," Kate nodded.

"That's probably when he planted the notes," Castle said. "But that doesn't take eight days. What about the rest of the time?"

"Most of the victims showed signs of torture. We're dealing with a sadist who gets off on other people's pain," Kate said.

"Creepy."

Kate nodded silently.

"So do you think Lanie found the next note yet?" Castle asked.

"She hasn't called me, so I don't know. It could be awhile before she's do - " Kate was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing.

Castle smirked while Kate rolled her eyes at his immature sense of humour.

"Beckett," Kate answered, and switched the phone to speaker mode.

"You guys need to get down here right away and see this," Lanie said with a sense of urgency.

"We're on our way," Kate said, turning the steering wheel to the left. She hung up the phone and focused her eyes back on the road.

Castle tapped his fingers excitedly on the dashboard, "What do you think she found?"

Kate turned into the morgue's parking lot. "Whatever it is, we're about to find out."

* * *

"I completed the autopsy without any surprises, until I found this," Lanie handed them a vial, "Sewn into the bottom of his left foot."

"He stepped on a few toes," Castle distantly quoted the Mayor.

Kate, thankful for the blue latex gloves wrapped around her fingers, pulled the cap of the vial off. She extracted the small note and carefully unfolded it.

Castle peered over Kate's shoulder, and read the note aloud. "Stepping on others to get ahead? Why not write books to get into their head? Two is."

"So our next vic is a writer?" Castle asked nervously.

"Two is? What does that mean?" Kate asked.

"Then, I checked his other foot, and found this," Lanie said, handing Kate the second vial.

"Getting away with such filth should be a crime. I would arrest you, like a filthy swine. Better than one," Kate read.

"Put the notes together," Lanie instructed.

Kate arranged the notes on the table and placed them side by side. The notes read the same, except for the last line, 'Two is better than one'.

"A writer and a cop..." Kate realized.

"I think I know who your next targets are," Lanie said.

Kate and Castle looked at each other and spoke simultaneously, "It's you."

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry, that was pretty mean. If it makes you feel any better, I did the same evil cliffhanger with my current Criminal Minds story. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all in 3 weeks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: And the wait is over! Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I wrote it in Venice, Italy (in case you were wondering =P). Special thanks to SciFiGirl65 for your continual support, I love getting your reviews :)**

* * *

"You can't pull me off of this case, Sir," Kate protested.

"I can. And I will," Gates said coldly, "You and Mr. Castle are now possible targets, and there is no way you can stay objective with that information brought to light."

"Sir, with all due respect, I know this case better than anyone. Taking me off would be a mistake," Kate argued further.

"The decision has been made, Detective Beckett. Take a few days off, enjoy the vacation," Gates said, closing the file in front of her.

Kate stood for a moment, about to say something else, then decided against it. "Yes, sir."

Storming out of the office, Kate made her way over to her desk.

"Woah, where's the fire?" Castle asked, standing up from his seat.

"Gates pulled me off the case," Kate said shortly.

"She can do that? What about us?" Castle asked, no doubt thinking about the threats placed against them.

"We've already been assigned protective details," Kate sighed.

"Wait, does that mean," Castle looked around and lowered his voice, "We can't... You know?"

"No more spending the night. At least not until this case is finished," Kate said firmly.

Castle looked disappointed, "Can I at least take you out for dinner?"

Kate rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "We've gone for dinner before, Castle."

"I'll pick you up at eight?" Castle said, raising his eyebrows mischievously.

"Don't be late," Kate winked.

* * *

"So," Castle spoke over his steak and mashed potato dinner, "Do you want kids?"

Kate almost choked on the water she had just started drinking. "Wow, Castle. Don't beat around the bush."

"Well, we've been dating for a couple months, and it's kind of an important subject," Castle said defensively.

"Fair enough," Kate dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. "I've always wanted kids... but I don't know. Being a cop is dangerous, and I would want to give my children a guarantee that I would come home for dinner every night. Right now, I can't do that."

Castle nodded thoughtfully, "But you do want them?"

Kate laughed, "Why, Castle? Do you?"

"Well, yeah," he shrugged. "Alexis is going to college next month, and although I still look 25," he said jokingly, "I won't be young forever. Plus, Alexis has always wanted a little sister," Castle winked.

"Well, why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it?" Kate said with a smile.

"Right," Castle grinned. "However, I'm not sure how much fun a hormonal Kate Beckett would be..."

Kate chucked a small chunk of carrot at his face and laughed when it bounced off of his nose.

"Oh, it's on," Castle said, gearing up to return fire with a spoonful of potato.

"Hey, crazy. Not here," Kate said, gesturing to the other diners who were making continual, judging glances at their table.

Castle lowered the spoon and mouthed, "This isn't over."

Kate winked daringly, then turned away to ask the waiter for the bill.

"Alexis and I used to have food fights every Friday night. I've got some homemade mini catapults in the back closet we can use..." Castle was silenced by Kate's finger gently touching his lips.

"I was thinking we could stick to whipped cream," Kate whispered.

Castle's heart skipped a beat, his mouth drying up. "Cherries too?"

Kate shrugged, the waiter having arrived. "If you insist."

Castle took the bill, never taking his eyes off of the beautiful woman in front of him.

"Let me get it, Castle," Kate broke the moment.

"Excuse me, but I am a gentleman. Letting you pay would forever scar my chivalrous record," Castle said dashingly.

"Alright, Prince Charming," Kate grinned.

* * *

"Well that was great, thank you, Castle," Kate said as the pair walked towards his apartment.

"Always," Castle smiled.

Kate looked up at the stone brick walls on either side of them in the dark alley they had taken to avoid the knowing stares of the cops acting as their details. She wondered what it would be like to have a life with Richard Castle, the man she had grown to love. In the middle of her musings of houses, white picket fences and children - all things she never thought she would actually have - Kate heard a loud bang, and whipped around to see Castle lying on the ground, a man wielding the butt end of a crowbar standing above him.

Kate instantly adopted a defensive pose, wishing for the gun normally strapped to her hip.

The masked figure was taller than her, about 6'2 and standing with 190 pounds of pure muscle. He turned the crowbar around in his hands so the pronged end was facing her.

He swung the crowbar, but Kate anticipated it, ducking down and using the man's lack of balance to sweep him off of his feet. He landed with a loud thud, and Kate jumped on top of him, trying to pry the crowbar out of his grip while he lay stunned on the ground.

The man regained his senses faster than Kate expected. He swung the crowbar again, this time its teeth catching her lip, ripping it open.

Kate gasped, the pain immense. Blood instantly poured out of the wound and spattered onto the ground.

The man grabbed onto Kate, pulling her up by her throat and throwing her up against the building's wall behind her. Squeezing her neck, the man smiled as the lack of air began to affect the woman in front of him.

Kate tried to shake off the black spots that were quickly clouding her vision. Everything was fading, the noise of the city lowering to a distant hum. Refusing to lose, Kate jerked her knee upwards into the man's groin. He lost his grip and she instantly sucked in mouthfuls of air, coughing and gasping as the oxygen rushed back into her lungs.

The man stood up and backhanded Kate's cheek, hard.

Tears welled up in her eyes; more from shock than pain. The water broke loose from the confines of her tear ducts when the crowbar returned to smash into her hand, instantly mangling it. Kate grunted and fell to the ground when the man threw his knee into her stomach.

Her entire body in unbelievable pain, Kate looked over at Castle who was a mere four feet from where she lay on the ground. The thoughts of a child flashed through her mind again, before the man brought the pronged end of the crowbar down on her skull and her consciousness ceased to exist.

* * *

**A/N: Duh. Duh. Duh... Feel free to let me know what you think, it's great to get a hello from my readers! Next 2 chapters are in the works, I'll update in a few days. Thanks everyone!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I was so happy with the amount of response that last chapter! 21 new follows is fantastic, considering that that more than doubled how many there were before. So thank you so much, and I'd like to thank poshespionage, NinaK.05, SciFiGirl65 and MKP for your reviews, you made my day. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

Castle's eyes flickered open, the pounding sound in his head making him squeeze them closed once again.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

He lay there, trying to recall what had happened. Flashes of memory began coming back to him - walking home from the restaurant, complaining about the weather, inviting Kate to come over...

Kate.

Castle's eyes shot open once again. He ignored the screaming pain in his head as he swiveled it around, desperately trying to focus his swimming vision.

"Kate?" he called out, surprised at the weakness in his voice.

Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Kate, are you in here?"

Not hearing a response, Castle's fictional and logical sides of his brain began fighting each other.

_"She could be dead, laying in a ditch somewhere."_ Castle shook his head, the image of Kate's mangled body and dead glassy eyes too much to bear._ "No. She had to have escaped, she would have fought the guy off."_

Castle mulled that thought around in his brain. Picturing Kate back at the police station with Javi and Ryan was a much more appealing image than the dead-in-a-ditch one; so he went with it.

Laying his head back down on the concrete, Castle reached up with his cuffed hands to grasp the back of his aching skull. When they came back sticky with blood, he winced. "That's not good," he said aloud.

His world suddenly came crashing down.

"Castle?" a quiet voice asked, "Is that you?"

Rick's stomach dropped, "Kate." Castle hesitated. Pulling himself together, he spoke again, "Are you alright?"

Her voice stronger now, "Yeah, I think so."

"Where are you?" Castle asked, peering into the darkness surrounding him.

"Can you move?" Kate asked.

"Yeah," Castle said, testing his mobility by flexing his feet and toes. A clinking sound startled him and he looked down towards his ankle. A chain had been strapped there, cuffing him to the wall. "On second thought, I might be stuck."

"Just follow the sound of my voice," Kate said.

"'K," Castle said under his breath as he started crawling over to the area where Kate's voice was coming from.

The world tipped dangerously, and Castle's stomach did flip flops when he shuffled his knees across the floor. He paused with a grunt.

"Rick? What's going on? Are you ok?" A tinge of panic tainted Kate's words.

"Yeah, just give me a minute," Castle said, determination and worry for Kate fueling his movements. The chain had yet to stop him, so he continued on.

She came into view a few moments later. She was tied to a chair, and blood gushed out of a wound just above her eyebrow. Her cheek was bruised, and more blood streamed out of a cut on her lower lip.

"Oh my, God," Castle said, getting up on his knees to meet her face.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Kate brushed him off.

"How would you know? I don't see a mirror around here," Castle said absently as he studied the cut on her forehead.

"The look on your face says a lot," Kate said. "You're bleeding," she noticed.

"It's fine," Castle said.

Kate's eyes closed briefly, and when she opened them again her teeth were clenched, her left hand balled into a fist despite the zip ties holding it against the arm of the chair.

"What's wrong?" Castle asked worriedly.

Kate took a moment, struggling to keep her breathing even.

"Kate!" Castle said loudly, trying to shake her out of her current state of panic.

Her hazel eyes turned to him, pain lacing her pupils.

"Shh," Castle said, clutching onto her left hand and slowly massaging it out of its fist.

Kate's breathing slowly returned to normal. After a moment of silence, she spoke. "What happened?"

"He must have cornered us in the alley behind my apartment," Castle started.

"I remember. He hit you over the head with a crowbar," Kate said, memories of the brutal fight returning to her. "I tried to fight him but he slammed the damn thing into my hand."

Castle looked over at her right hand and winced at the purple tinged skin, one bone stretching outward but not breaking through.

Beckett remained stolid, however. Refusing to let Castle see her pain, she struggled to put on a brave face by hardening her features and tone of voice. "After that, he had this look on his face, like he knew he'd won," Kate paused. "That son of a bitch."

"Listen, we're going to be ok. But you can't go to sleep on me, alright? You have a concussion," Castle said, making sure Kate was looking at him.

"How do you know that? Did you shadow a doctor once, too?" Kate asked, her tone joking but the feeling not coming across.

"A surgeon, actually," Castle smiled. "Seriously, though. How many fingers am I holding up?"

Kate stared hard at the two fingers Castle was showing her. Her vision was so blurred, she took a guess. "Three?"

"I rest my case," Castle said with a concerned look on his face.

"What about you?" Kate asked. "I can see blood on your hands. Is that from your head?"

"Unfortunately," Rick winced, then brightened a little - for her sake. "I was feeling pretty rotten a couple of minutes ago, but things are clearing up," he said; not a complete lie.

"I'll make you a deal. I make sure you don't fall asleep, and you do the same for me. Ok?" Kate asked, her speech slurring ever so slightly.

"Deal," Castle said. "Starting now. Why don't you tell me about your first dog again. Copper?"

"Cooper," Kate corrected him through closed eyes, her mind shutting down.

"Right. What was he like?" Castle asked.

Not receiving a response, Castle asked her again.

"Kate? Come on, you can't do this," Castle said, desperation in his voice.

Light flooded the room as a giant steel door flew open.

Castle put a hand in front of his eyes against the light.

The man who had entered the dingy room looked at Castle leaning on the side of Kate's chair, holding her hand. "How sweet."

* * *

**A/N: Next up, Esposito and Ryan as well as more Castle and Beckett. Feel free to let me know how you're liking the story, especially if anything starts being OOC. I hate that in a fic, haha. Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews ;) And holy smokes, was that not the greatest promo ever? 25 days!**

* * *

Ryan startled awake at the sound of his cell phone vibrating on the wood of his bedside table.

"Ryan," he answered as alertly as he could manage.

Esposito's voice came across the other end of the line, "Get dressed. Beckett and Castle's protective details are down."

Ryan's face paled and he shot into a sitting position, "Do we have a location on them?" Ryan referred to his two friends.

"No, but the cops who came to check when the details weren't responding found evidence of a struggle in the alley behind Castle's house." Esposito hesitated, "They found blood."

"God damn it," Ryan said, hugging the cell phone to his shoulder as he threw on a pair of pants. "I can meet you at Castle's apartment in ten minutes."

"Ok, bro," Esposito said. "Be careful."

Jenny lifted her head up at Ryan's muted movements. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go to work," Ryan said, quickly pecking her lips. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

* * *

Ryan flipped his jacket up to protect his head from the sudden onslaught of rain. He rushed over to the crime scene, filled with police and crime scene investigators. Catching sight of Esposito, Ryan hurried over; rain dripping off of his jacket and splashing onto his face.

"Hey," Javier said, letting Ryan stand next to him underneath the giant black umbrella he carried in his hand.

"What have we got?" Ryan asked.

"We're still piecing it together, but we know Castle and Beckett took the alley intentionally, which is probably why they didn't notice the dead details in the car outside of Castle's place. We found this," Esposito said, pointing out the crowbar to Ryan, "And blood on both the crowbar and spattered on the ground over here," Esposito gestured to the asphalt floor of the alley.

"Do we know who's it is yet?" Ryan asked.

"CSU took it to the lab about an hour ago, and I haven't heard back from them yet. It should be coming in soon," Esposito said.

"No fingerprints on the crowbar?" Ryan asked.

"We picked up a set, CSU's running it," Esposito said.

"Let's hope the son of a bitch finally screwed it up," Ryan said.

Esposito nodded, then scrambled to find his phone when it started to ring melodically.

"Esposito," he answered it.

Ryan watched for clues as Javier spoke to the CSU technician on the other line.

"Yeah, thanks," Esposito grimaced. "The results came back for the blood and fingerprints. The blood on the butt of the crowbar is Castle's, and Beckett's blood is on the pronged end."

Ryan closed his eyes in defeat, his blood boiling and his stomach churning simultaneously.

"The blood on the ground is also Beckett's, as are the set of fingerprints," Esposito said, his fists clenched and his composure slipping.

"Fuck," Ryan swore.

Esposito turned to the wall of the alley and hit it as hard as he could with the fleshy part of his fist. Delivering a swift kick to the bricks, he continued beating on the wall until Ryan interfered.

Pulling Esposito away, Ryan spoke, "Woah, hey. Calm down. We'll find them, ok?"

"We should have known this would happen. I should have volunteered as a detail, then I would have -" Esposito started.

"Died. You would have been dead. Ok? Don't do that to yourself. They're tough. Beckett's tough. They'll be alright," Ryan said.

Javier shook his head, "I hope so."

* * *

"What do you want from us?" Castle growled, throwing as much hate and anger into his voice as humanly possible.

"Have you heard of me, Mr. Castle?" the man asked, his figure in shadow as light streamed in from behind him.

"No. I've only heard of the people you've killed, you sick bastard," Castle spat.

"Tsk, Tsk, Rick. Where has your sense of humor gone? You're unusually serious," the man grinned.

Castle reigned himself in, desperately trying to remain under control.

"Your girlfriend's got the highest arrest rate in New York City. And you, my friend, have the most best sellers since the great James Patterson. How does that make you feel?" the man asked.

"Go to hell," Castle snarled.

Kate stirred when the man in the doorway shifted and light illuminated her face.

"Kate?" Castle asked, giving all of his attention to her.

"Castle, what's going on?" she mumbled, the pounding in her head making it difficult to fully open her eyes.

"Ah, Detective Kate Beckett. Welcome to the world of the living," the man smirked.

At the sound of the stranger's voice, Kate opened her eyes fully, pushing away the pain that surrounded the motion. She stared straight at the murderer in front of her, taking a moment to gather both her thoughts and strength to speak clearly, "You know, if you were a real man, you wouldn't have to tie your victims up now, would you?"

Transformation from disoriented Kate to tough-as-nails Detective Beckett: Complete.

Castle's eyes widened. "What are you doing?" he whispered frantically.

"Bet it doesn't feel good to know that you can't take a girl," Kate fired at him. "Speaking of which, have you been icing that?" she asked, nodding towards his crotch. "I've heard nut shots can be a bitch."

The man walked forward, no longer able to control his fury.

Castle stood in front of him, blocking Kate from the man who was literally trembling in anger.

The man shoved Castle to the ground, and reached out to smack Kate's face. He waited until she met his eyes once again before he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Are you insane?" Castle asked, picking himself up from the concrete floor.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Kate snapped furiously. "What the hell did you think you were doing, Castle?"

"What do you mean?" Castle asked defensively.

"Standing in front of me like that, you could have gotten youself killed!"

"I was protecting you," Castle said, a wounded look in his eyes despite the strong tone.

"I don't know how many times we have to go over this, Rick. I am the cop. Ok? I know what I'm doing. I don't need nor want your protection," Kate said angrily.

Castle frowned, his mouth set in a tight line. He looked like he was about to say something, but decided against it and walked over to the wall, sliding down it until he was sitting on the ground.

Kate looked at the torn man in front of her and felt sick to her stomach. However, she knew her harshness would be the only way to keep him alive. As much as she thought his protective instinct was sweet, Kate knew that it would kill him if she let it continue and God help her, she could hold it together for his safety.

Pain in her eyes, she remembered their evening together and desperately wished they could go back in time together. Away from the hell they found themselves in, and towards... What? A life together? A family? Kate didn't know. She wasn't sure she was ready.

Castle looked up at her, and their eyes met, transmitting the strongest of feelings. Fear. Pain. Anger. Lust. Love.

Kate felt Castle's lips on hers, and she bit back the stinging pain of her cut to enjoy the kiss, full of all of the words they couldn't say.

Castle pulled away, and reached out to tuck a stray piece of Kate's hair behind her ear. "I'll never let you go," he promised her.

Kate looked up at him, green eyes meeting blue, "I know."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting! The fall has started everything up again and I've been crazy busy. Thanks for your reviews and follows, I'm actually thrilled with the amount of people reading my story - especially seeing as it's my first Castle fic! So thanks guys, you're the best.**

_Warning: Violence_**  
**

* * *

Castle jolted awake at the sound of a loud screeching noise blasting into the room through four, well-placed speakers. The noise was unbearable and Castle covered his ears, desperately trying to block out the sound. He looked up at Kate as he remembered her bound hands and saw her sitting, rigid in the chair. Both of her eyes were squeezed shut, and her teeth were clenched together.

Castle stood up, his head already beginning to hurt, and pressed himself against the left side of Kate's skull. Using his jacket to muffle the sound in one of her ears, he reached across with one hand to cover her right ear, and used his left hand to cover his own ear, pressing the other into his shoulder.

While this acrobatic act of chivalry occurred, a hooded figure entered the room. He had a thick pair of sound-muffling headphones on, and a can of pepper spray in his hand.

Castle felt someone touching the chain on his foot, and he whipped his body towards it. He instantly regretted it as all of his senses were assaulted at once. The spine-tingling screeching ripped though his ear canal, and pepper spray jetted into his eyes, nose and mouth; burning them instantly.

Castle dropped to his knees, moaning in pain and desperately trying to rub the pepper spray from his face. His eyes watered and his nose dripped while his ear drums screamed at him.

He felt the man bringing him to his feet, and Rick stumbled slightly. His temporary blindness preventing him from fighting, and he stumbled along with his captor until he was shoved into a seat. The man grabbed his arms away from his face and strapped them to the cold metal chair.

Castle scrunched his eyes up tight, tears leaking through his lids. He felt his feet being bound to the chair, and he kicked out, only to meet empty air.

After a few moments of unbelievable pain, the screeching noise stopped. His ears still ringing, Castle let out a small sigh of relief. His moment of quiet was cut short when a low buzz sounded from behind him. A shiver of fear shot through his spine when he realized what was going to happen next. Bracing himself, he waited.

* * *

Kate watched Castle sleeping next to her, and wished she could reach over and touch him. After a few moments of watching him, Kate too began to nod off. Her eyes closed, and she finally let some relaxation into her muscles.

A shrieking noise erupted so loudly, that Kate startled suddenly. She gasped and shut her eyes to the sound. Wishing her hands were untied, she struggled to keep from screaming as the noise penetrated her skull and vibrated her teeth.

A warm body unexpectedly appeared at her side.

Castle. She thought, as both of her ears were covered by his hand and jacket.

Suddenly he was gone, and Kate turned to see what had happened. She saw Castle fall to the ground and instantly recognized the smell of pepper spray in the air. Turning away to keep it from getting in her eyes, Kate focused on her bonds once again. Her broken hand screamed in protest as she moved it around, trying to loosen the zip ties encircling her wrists.

The sound was impossible to ignore, and Kate shrugged her shoulders to her ears, squeezing her eyes shut and opening her mouth in pain. She sensed the man come towards her, and she opened her eyes to meet his.

His pupils were dilated, and the irises of his cold eyes blue. His face was contorted into an evil grin as he raised the bottle of pepper spray to Kate's eyes.

Kate realized what was happening, but didn't close her eyes fast enough before they were doused in a hefty spray of pepper. She cried out, and felt the zipties being cut from around her wrists. She fought through the pain, and opened her eyes briefly. Seeing the approximate location of the blurry figure, Kate lashed out. Her foot landed somewhere soft, and the man instantly let go of her.

Beckett balled her fists together and brought them down on the man's head. Her actions fruitless, the man stood up and grabbed her broken hand in a vice-like grip. Kate gasped in pain, and unwelcome tears poured out of her eyes from both the pain of her hand and the sting of the pepper spray.

She felt herself being pulled forward by her injured hand, and her mind blanked momentarily as her situation overwhelmed her. The screeching continued to fill her ears with an uninterrupted insistency, her entire face felt as though it were on fire and her broken wrist was being torn out of its socket by the vicious murderer leading her.

Another jerk of her hand pulled Kate out of her stupor and she moved forward, only to be pushed into yet another chair. This seat was cold and metallic, and had leather straps rather than plastic zip ties. As the man pulled her hair back, the back of her head hit the metal of the chair and a leather strap was pulled over her forehead.

Kate opened her eyes again and saw a blur that looked a lot like Castle sitting about four feet in front of her. His features mirrored hers - pain contorting them beyond recognition.

Mercifully, the shrieking stopped, and Kate slowly relaxed her jaw which she had set into a firm clench. She opened her eyes again, the burning just as strong as before, and saw her assailant in front of a giant, threateningly black machine. He was busy turning dials and adjusting controls until a loud hum erupted out of its confines.

Kate's eyes widened as she realized what she was looking at. She looked back over at Castle, hoping to receive a look of consolation, but his eyes were closed.

* * *

**A/N: Jeepers. Tough day for Castle and Beckett. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Tonight's episode was amazing. Loved Stana's scene - she was on fire! I've never seen Beckett so bad-ass before. Anyways, seeing Castle and Beckett together and actually getting to feel out their dynamic as a couple I decided to update tonight. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Castle opened his eyes, feeling them peel apart with a small burning sensation. Looking over at Kate, he saw her tightly bound to a steel metal chair adjacent to him. She looked terrible; her normally well kept curls in knots, makeup dried in a runny mess on her cheeks and her clothing rumpled and bloodstained.

"Kate," Castle choked out.

She looked up at him, "Castle, I -"

Her words were cut off by a loud snapping noise. Kate screamed in pain, her head striking the back of the chair as electricity pounded through her veins.

"God, damn it!" Castle roared, throwing himself forward against his restraints and cursing every expletive he could think of. "Stop!"

Mercifully, the machine was turned off and Kate relaxed, her body slumping against the chair while her chest heaved.

"That was just a taste, Mr. Castle," the man smirked. "I'll have my fun, and if you two ruin my moment in any way…"

Castle's chair lit up and he arched his back against the jolt, clenching his teeth together and letting out a low growl.

A knock sounded in a far off room. The man looked up, and excused himself. "I'll be back in just a moment."

Kate turned to Castle, who was still recovering from the electricity's effects. "Castle, look at me. Please. Castle, please just look at me."

Castle focused his blurred vision until he was looking at Beckett. "Are you… ok?" he asked.

A tear slipped down Kate's cheek, "Yes, I'm fine." She cleared her throat as it wavered slightly, "Castle, we have to get out of here. Do you hear me? Is there any way you can break your bonds?"

"I tried but I'm stuck. Kate, he knows what he's doing. He's already had three test runs before he got to us."

"His victims weren't us, Castle. Come on, we've been in worse situations before this," Kate said, trying to elicit a smile.

Castle gave her a look, "No, I'm pretty sure this is the worst predicament we've ever found ourselves in."

Kate was silent for a moment. Castle examined her, taking her in and holding her in his mind's eye. He flash backed to some of his favourite memories. The way she looked the morning after they had first slept together. Her hair in a sexy, bed-head frizz and her body covered in one of his shirts. He remembered how easily her clothing fell off at his touch, and how she leaned into his kiss, their tongues finding each other in a passionate game of hide and seek.

"Kate," Castle started. "If we don't make it out of this, I want you to know that - "

"Don't start," Kate cut him off. "Don't give up on me, Castle. Not yet. We are not dead yet. Do you hear me? We are still breathing, and we are still alive. So just - don't."

"I love you," Castle whispered.

Kate looked up and found his eyes, "Please." A second tear slipped down her face. "Please, don't."

* * *

Ryan rapped on the door, watching as Esposito peered through the window.

"How'd you find this guy again?" Esposito asked, his face almost touching the paned glass.

"He was a witness in the first murder," Ryan answered.

"That's what we're going on? A witness as a potential suspect?" Javier raised his eyebrows.

Ryan turned towards Esposito, "Look, man. We don't have anything else to go on and this is day three. Castle and Beckett only have five more days and I sure as hell don't want to turn down any leads. Do you?" Ryan asked heatedly.

Esposito stared at his partner, his eyebrows knitted together.

"Besides, he looked... shifty." Ryan said, readjusting his weight on his left foot and turning back towards the door.

Music suddenly blared from inside the house, so loud that it shook the boards on the front steps whenever the bass sounded.

Esposito pounded on the door, "Police, open up."

The door swung open almost instantly. "Hello, officers," the man greeted.

Esposito took in his scruffy appearance. "Mr. Alexander Rippner?"

"The one and only."

"Would you mind turning that down please?" Esposito asked.

"Sorry, it's broken. I can't get the damn thing to turn down once it's on. What can I do for you?" Rippner said, directing the conversation away from the music drowning out any sound coming from inside the house.

Esposito frowned at the man's demeanor. He tried to look into the house through the doorway, but Rippner blocked it with his large frame.

"You were a witness in the case of Carson Polinski. We have a few more questions to ask you, if you'd like to come down to the station?" Ryan said.

"Sorry boys, I'm actually not available right now. I gave you all the information I had regarding the murder of that Polinski guy, and unless you have an arrest warrant, I'm not going anywhere with you," Rippner smiled. "You have a good day now."

Ryan flinched as the door slammed shut.

"Sorry, bro," Esposito said.

"He's got to have an overdue parking ticket or something we can grab him for," Ryan said.

"I thought you checked into him and said he was clean?" Esposito said.

"There's got to be something I missed." Ryan stared at the deserted area around him, "I guess all we can do is keep an eye on him for now."

"Hey, did you hear how he was blasting that music?"

"Are you joking me? It's still on," Ryan looked at his partner.

"Nobody has a stereo on that loud unless they're trying to hide something," Esposito said.

"Like screaming," Ryan suggested.

"Or cries for help," Esposito contributed.

The partners looked at each other before simultaneously whipping out their phones.

"Yes, I need a search warrant for an Alexander Rippner..."

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**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed it and please feel free to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Help!" Kate shouted, her voice hoarse from screaming.

"Kate, they left. They didn't hear us," Rick said, defeated.

"Then why hasn't he turned off the music yet?" Beckett asked, giving Castle a look of pure determination.

Castle took a deep breath, "Ryan! Esposito! HELP!"

The music suddenly halted, leaving Kate's ears ringing.

Footsteps clomped down the stairs, until a door slammed.

The vile man re-entered the dank basement. He walked over to Beckett and Castle, and studied them momentarily.

Castle looked up at Rippner, "I have to go to the bathroom."

The man sneered, "Go, then."

"I would, but then it's going to smell, and look, man, it's not that kind of a situation," Castle said with a small chuckle, trying to look innocent.

Rippner considered, then reached back and undid the straps binding Castle's hands, then the ones around his feet, midsection and forehead. He re-tied Castle's hands in front of him with zip ties, yanking them down until they bit into Rick's flesh.

Castle winced, then gave Kate a small grin accompanied by a wink as he was lead away by Rippner.

Kate watched as he left the room, and tugged at her bonds once again. Wriggling the straps around only succeeded in burning the already existing cuts delving into her wrists.

Hissing in pain, Kate stomped her foot on the ground and bit her tongue.

A sound erupted from a nearby room, causing Kate's eyes to widen. Someone yelled out in pain, and glass shattered.

"Castle!" Kate shouted. She rocked her chair back and forth, desperately trying to loosen any of the many restrictive bonds covering her body.

"Kate!"

She heard her voice being called from afar, and then vertigo captured her attention as her chair began to tip backwards, catapulting to the floor and striking it with a loud crack.

"Kate!"

Kate shook away the stars in her vision. Her head was pounding and she could feel more blood pouring out of the back of her skull.

"Castle," she groaned.

"Kate!"

She could hear the voice getting closer, but her mind was already swimming into the dark.

"Castle..."

* * *

Castle rushed into the room, and saw Kate lying on the ground, her eyes closed.

"Kate! No, no..." Castle said, his hands spread in front of him, unsure of what to do.

Seeing that she was still bound to her chair, he ran back out of the room. Finding Rippner, he rifled through the man's pockets. Pulling out several items, he decided on a pair of heavy duty scissors.

Checking Rippner's pulse, Castle's heart sunk to feel slight movements under his finger.

The fight had been short and brutal.

Insisting on using his hands to wipe, Castle had convinced Rippner to cut his ties. Once inside the bathroom, Castle had desperately searched for anything he could use to his defense. A small medicine cabinet sat freely on the counter, filled with a few Aspirin tablets and a bottle of Pepto Bismol.

Castle picked up the cabinet, and flushed the toilet using his foot. When Rippner opened the door to re-tie him, Castle threw the cabinet at him. The glass on the front of the box shattered in Rippner's face, cutting his eye. Rick took Rippner's temporary blindness as an advantage and pummeled his fists into the man's head.

Castle had heard his name being called.

Kate.

"Kate!" he had shouted.

Rippner had growled at the sound, blood coming out of his mouth from cuts on his lips.

Castle then used the medicine cabinet to smash it into Rippner's skull. When the killer's head lolled backwards, Castle had dropped the cabinet, shocked at his own brutality.

A loud smack from the other room had brought Castle out of his stupor.

"Kate!"

Shaking his head out of the memory, Castle clutched the scissors in his hand and pulled himself up from his knees, his head spinning from the sudden movement. Castle stumbled back into the basement and knelt down beside Kate. He gently cut through her bonds, mindful of her injuries.

Touching her gently, he willed her to wake up. "Kate, come one. Wake up for me."

Not receiving a response, Castle shook away any dizziness and calmed himself. Reaching under her body, he gently lifted Kate into his arms.

Castle walked back through the only doorway, and gingerly stepped over Rippner's unconscious body.

Rippner groaned at the sound of Castle making his way up the stairs.

"Why won't you just die?" Castle mumbled as he struggled to carry his broken body and Kate's up the narrow staircase.

He slumped against the wall for a moment, and took a breath. The staircase dipped and bucked, reminding him that his head injury was not nothing - he probably had a concussion. Regaining his strength and tightening his grip on Kate's unmoving body, Rick continued up the stairs and shoved his way into the kitchen. Looking left, then right, Castle spotted the front door.

Pushing his way out of the doorway, Castle's heart sunk when he saw what lay in front of him.

Nothing.

No roads, no houses, just a god-damn forest.

Castle looked down at Kate, and was surprised to see her breath come out in little puffs of white.

Was it really that cold?

Castle's question was answered when he saw the scariest thing of all.

A single snowflake, drifting down from the confines of the sky.

* * *

**A/N: Ok so I know Espo and Ryan drove in on a road, but don't nail me on that yet. We'll get to it in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

Kate Beckett opened her eyes and groaned as the world around her spun. She felt her head bob up and down, jolting her skull into a fierce headache.

Castle looked down at Kate after her small moan, "Hey there, stranger."

"God, Castle," Kate mumbled, "Put me down."

Castle stopped and knelt on the frozen ground, gently setting her down.

"How are you feeling?" Castle asked, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

Kate sat up, intent on replacing some of the dignity she had lost over the past few days. "I'm fine. What the hell happened?"

Castle perked up and took on a pompous air, "You're looking at the bravest, strongest man of all the land."

He was met with an unimpressed stare.

Castle sighed, "Too much. Ok, here's the boring version; I attacked our serial killer friend by smashing his head in with a medicine cabinet," Castle emphasized his words with gestures and vivid facial expressions, "Beat him until his head lolled back with his eyes falling out of his sockets, and returned to rescue you."

Kate considered rolling her eyes at the latter part of his re-telling but decided against it, thanking him instead.

"For you? Anything. Well..." Castle considered, "Almost anything."

Kate threw a small pile of soft snow at him.

Castle sputtered as it landed on his lips.

Kate couldn't help but laugh at his red cheeks and scrunched up eyes, snow dripping from his face.

Castle geared up to return fire, then jolted to a halt. "Did you hear that?" Castle asked, his brow furrowing in concentration.

"What?" Kate asked, whipping her head around to scan her surroundings with hawk-like eyes.

A small putter could be heard just down the dirt road Rick had spotted and followed.

Castle grabbed Kate by the arm and they dove into the bushes. Peeking out between the leaves, Rippner could be seen manically riding an ATV down the road, scanning the forest with a shotgun slung over his shoulder. His face was bloodied and his eyes wild.

Castle started to shrink farther out of sight until his foot slipped, noisily scraping the ground beneath him.

The ATV's engine was silenced, and Rippner climbed off. His head was tipped in Beckett and Castle's direction.

Castle winced and looked at Kate. He could see that she was already trying to find a way to escape. Getting up would give them away, but their current hiding spot wasn't exactly covert.

Rick looked around and spotted a rock just within reach. Keeping one eye on Rippner, who was slowly inching towards them; Castle took the rock in his palm and chucked it as far away from them as he could without his arm breaching the cover of the bushes.

Rippner's head whipped towards the sound and he charged in its direction.

Kate and Castle scrambled up and bolted in the opposite direction of Castle's rock. They crashed through the bushes, their feet thumping under them.

A shot rang out, and Castle winced as he waited for a bullet to slice through his skull. However, he remained standing and Kate tugged on his arm, reminding him to keep going.

The duo continued to race through the bushes, their pace gradually slowing until they were merely trudging through the ever increasing amount of snow layering the ground.

"Castle, let's stop," Kate puffed.

"Agreed," Castle said, dropping to the ground and leaning on a nearby rock.

The two huddled together, their breaths coming out in frosty white clouds. Castle reached over to rub Kate's hands. She, in turn, reached her legs over and intertwined them with Castle's. They sat in silence, shivering in their light clothing.

Castle sat up suddenly, shrugging off his jacket.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked.

Castle took the jacket in his hands and wrapped it around Kate. "Remember when we got locked in that freezer?"

Kate quickly removed Castle's coat and gave it back to him. "You're going to freeze to death without this."

Castle refused to take the jacket, "I should have given my coat to you that day. I've always regretted that, and now's my chance to make amends." Castle hesitated, "If one of us is going to survive, it should be you."

Kate processed this information, and her eyes slowly welled up with tears. She reached over to his face and drew him close. "I don't deserve you."

Castle kissed her blue-tinted lips gently, "You deserve much more than me, Kate."

"I love you," Kate said, surprised at how easily the words slid through her lips.

Castle looked around, his vision limited due to the flurry of snow falling to the ground. Rippner was still out there, tracking and hunting them like animals.

Castle tightly held Kate in his arms, his jacket draped over her shivering shoulders. With the disturbing thought that this could be the last time he was ever able to tell her, Castle whispered out the most important four words in his life, "I love you, Kate."

* * *

**A/N: Ok, hope that wasn't too sappy for you all! Thank you for your continued support, and I hope that you thoroughly enjoyed this chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11

Esposito banged on the wooden door frame, "Alexander Rippner, this is the NYPD. We have a warrant to search the premises, open the door!"

Not hearing anything, Javier nodded at Ryan and proceeded to slam his heel into the door. "NYPD, put your hands above you head!" Esposito held his gun out, and quickly walked into the dingy living room.

"Clear!" Ryan shouted from the kitchen.

"Clear," Esposito responded.

"God, what's that smell?" Ryan asked, scrunching his nose up and holding his hand over his mouth.

Esposito grimaced, "I don't know, man. But it's coming from over there," he pointed at the door leading to the basement.

"This is like every bad horror movie I've ever seen," Ryan said as he followed Esposito towards the closed door. Javier opened it, and the pair cautiously crept down the staircase on the other side, stepping over the broken glass littering the landing at the bottom.

"Blood," Ryan pointed out.

The evidence of the fight between Castle and Rippner was painfully evident. The medicine cabinet lay destroyed on the floor outside of the bathroom, its glass strewn everywhere. Rippner's blood dotted the carpet and sat drying on the wall.

To Esposito, the blood looked like Kate's did when she was shot. To Esposito, the blood looked like Castle's blood as it seeped out of a gaping hole in his forehead from where the medicine cabinet made contact. To Esposito, all he could picture were the mangled bodies of Castle and Beckett, their dead eyes staring at him accusingly. Why didn't you find us sooner?

Javier stayed silent, not allowing the images of his friends' dead bodies to cloud his focus. He slowly moved towards the door to the torture room, his gun steadily held out in front of him. "Am I covered?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"What?" Ryan asked.

"Are you covering me?" Esposito repeated, never taking his eyes off of the closed door in front of him.

"Of course," Ryan responded.

Esposito reached out and took hold of the door handle, taking a moment to breathe before throwing it open. "NYPD!"

He was greeted by silence and an overwhelming stench that saturated the large room.

"Pepper spray... and something else," Ryan said, testing the air.

"Try burnt flesh," Esposito said, his tone strong but his insides churning as he took in the electric chairs sitting in the far corner of the room.

Ryan took out his flashlight to combat the overall dimness of the basement. He examined the space and called out to Esposito after finding the lone chain and wooden chair sitting on the far right. "Javi, there's more blood over here."

Esposito closed his eyes and took a breath, trying not to vomit. "Breathe, just breathe," he mouthed to himself.

"Hey, you ok?" Ryan asked.

Esposito opened his eyes, "I have a question. Where the hell is everyone?"

Ryan looked around again, then jolted to attention as he noticed a well hidden door in a particularly dark corner of the basement, "Over there," he relayed. His gun ready, Ryan took the lead. Swinging open the door, he instantly jumped back when he was confronted with a woman's body sitting in an old rocking chair. Gagging, Ryan backed away as the overwhelming stench of death drifted into his nostrils, filling his head and spreading through his organs.

"What the hell," Esposito said, walking into the closet. "This woman has to be ninety years old."

"Esposito," Ryan spoke, his voice wavering slightly.

"What?" Esposito asked, not looking up from the dead body in the closet.

"I think we should call Gates."

* * *

Castle jolted awake at the sound of heavy footsteps crunching through the snow.

"Kate, wake up," Castle said urgently, pushing on her shoulders as his eyes wildly scanned the frozen earth around him.

"What is it?" Kate asked, trying to pull herself into complete awareness.

"Shh, listen," Castle murmured.

The forest was silent save the snow that continued to fall, pattering lightly onto the tall trees looming above.

Then they heard it. A small rustling noise.

Kate tensed, automatically reaching for a weapon that wasn't there.

They were trapped, unable to run fast enough to evade the danger closing in.

Then, a snort.

A black snout made its way through a nearby bush, slowly revealing a monstrous black bear with three bumbling cubs.

"We're dead," Castle said. "We. Are. Dead."

"Castle!" Kate exclaimed, whipping her head towards him. "You're not helping."

"No, I've seen this on TV. The lonely campers get trapped by a 300-pound mama bear. There's a face-off. Spoiler alert: it doesn't end well for the campers," Castle said, trying to avoid looking the bear in the eye.

Kate breathed slowly, trying to calm her racing heart as she took in the giant animal only a stone's throw away from her. "Aren't we supposed to make a noise or something? Scare it off?" Kate asked.

Castle took a deep breath, "GET OUT OF HERE. GO AWAY!"

The bear roared and reared up on its hind legs, snarling and grunting as it walked over to Castle and Beckett on two feet.

"Jeez," Castle said, panicking as he pushed himself farther back.

"Castle..." Kate breathed.

The bear fell back onto four paws and lowered itself to the ground, its head bent towards them. It swept the ground with its paw and huffed, a cloud of steam leaving its giant nostrils.

Castle fell to the ground, his face planting in the snow.

"Castle," Kate whispered furiously as she kept herself in a defensive position against the immense black bear. "What are you doing?"

"Play dead," Castle said.

"What?"

"Just trust me, and do it," Castle murmured through gritted teeth, his cheeks burning from the cold snow.

The bear roared again, its huge teeth glinting off of the snow.

"Kate..." Castle warned.

The black bear suddenly charged, racing towards them with the determination and fierceness that only a mother bear could show.

Kate flew to the ground, trying to stay as still as possible while her instincts were shouting at her to make a run for it.

The bear closed the distance quickly.

Kate braced herself for the savage attack, her head pounding and her broken wrist screaming in pain from the awkward position it was sitting in.

A shot pierced through the crisp forest air and the bear stumbled sideways, crying out in agony.

Another shot sounded and the bear was silenced, its head falling into the snow. Her cubs ran off into the underbrush, spooked by the loud noise.

Castle and Beckett cautiously got up from the frozen ground, turning towards the sound of the gun.

A man worked his way out of the forest, and smiled at them. "Look who we have here..."

Rippner laughed as he made his way over to the bear. He knelt down at patted its head, speaking in her ear. "Thanks for helping me out. Without you, I never would have found my prey." Rippner looked over at Castle and Beckett and his grin got even bigger. "You two."


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for all your reviews! SciFiGirl65, I always have a little laugh when I read about your seating situation. Thanks for your continued support. **

* * *

Kate looked at the maniac kneeling in front of them and felt both a surge of anger and crippling exhaustion sweep through her body. Every part of her was in pain and cold. She could no longer feel her fingertips, and she shivered with each ragged breath.

Looking over at Castle, Beckett saw that she could be worse off. Rick's lips were blue and he was covered in a thin layer of snow. He also shook, but he refused to untangle himself from her; desperate to give whatever heat he carried to her.

Evening was falling, and the blue light made Rippner's face look distorted; or was that the head injury? Kate didn't know, but she was certain that she couldn't understand the words spilling out of his mouth.

Rippner approached them and tried pulling Castle to his feet. Failing to do so, Rippner began stripping his clothing off until Castle was left with nothing but his favourite pair of boxers on. Rippner then moved on to Kate, removing her clothes until she, too, was left wearing nothing but undergarments.

Kate shook even harder as the snow iced her bare skin. Any fight left in her was being used to stay conscious, to stay alive.

"Castle?" she nudged him lightly.

Castle bent his head towards her and grinned. "I love that bra," he mumbled.

"I know... I bought it... To impress you," Kate smiled. Each sentence was slow and shaky as a result of her chattering teeth and low body temperature.

"At least I get to die comfortable," Castle remarked softly. "These are great boxers."

"Castle... Come on. We have to find the road," Kate said, drawing herself up to her knees. Her vision faded and her stomach reviled, throwing up its contents at the sudden movement.

"Kate," Castle reached for her, drawing her back down to the ground. He pulled her close and felt her breath tickle his chest like so many times before. He kissed her hair and buried his nose in it, inhaling her scent and smiling when he realized that she still smelled like cherries.

"I'll bet this wasn't what you envisioned when you wrote 'Frozen Heat'… huh, Castle?" Kate said, trying her hand at some humour.

Castle chuckled, then broke off into a coughing fit. He took a couple of deep breaths, "No, it wasn't."

The writer and detective pushed themselves closer together, tensed in a tight, embraced position. Snow trickled down onto them, melting into tiny pools of water after landing on their warm skin.

Castle took a deep breath in, and closed his eyes.

"Castle… we have to find the road," Kate mumbled, half asleep herself.

"'Kay," Castle whispered.

The forest grew silent, and the moon crept out from behind the distant mountain tops. The only disturbance in the frigid winter air was the tiny whispers of breath escaping from the mouths and noses of the two people laying on the icy forest floor, their skin fading from a healthy glow to a sickening blue as each minute passed.

The seconds ticked on until it didn't matter any more. Slowly, the time seeped out of the forest until there simply wasn't any left.

* * *

"Ok, Group Alpha, you're searching Quadrant 1. Group Beta, Quadrant 2 and so on for Groups Charlie and Delta. Is everyone clear on their search areas?" Javier barked out.

A chorus of 'yes, sirs' sounded.

"Good. Remember, Rippner is the target. Castle and Beckett are the friendlies. If you find them, radio either me or Detective Ryan immediately with your coordinates," Esposito ordered. "Now get going!"

The search groups dispersed, and Ryan grabbed Esposito by the shoulder. "Where are we looking?"

"The area surrounding the road. If I were them, that's where I would've gone," Javier said.

Ryan hoisted his supply backpack over his shoulder and double checked the Glock strapped to his waist. "You ready?"

Esposito grabbed the military-style shotgun resting on the side of his truck. "Ready as I'll ever be."

The partners set out along the snowy dirt road, their boots making large footprints in the white powder.

Twenty minutes later, Ryan stopped Esposito, "Hey, check it out." He knelt down in the snow and pointed at the footprints barely showing in the snow.

"Those look like they're a couple of hours old," Esposito remarked.

"They're going in this direction," Ryan said, following the footprints towards a dense clump of foliage. He disappeared into the bushes, and called out, "Javi, we've got blood over here."

Esposito broke through the bushes, brushing snow and leaves off of his shoulders with an irritated look on his face. "One pair of shoes, it's got to be Rippner's."

"Shall we follow them?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, we shall," Esposito said, the mood lightened slightly with the revolution that the blood was probably Rippner's.

The pair of men followed the footsteps closely, walking for almost an hour before coming to a clearing. There they found the two half-naked, frozen bodies of their friends and colleagues.

Ryan and Esposito stopped dead in their tracks.

"Call an ambulance."

* * *

**A/N: So... what will it be? Alive, or dead? **


	13. Chapter 13

A harsh light assaulted his pupils as Castle lifted his heavy eyelids. His vision was blurred, and the world around him ghosted with every movement. Smelling the air, a wave of antiseptic and various cleaning agents hit his senses. _Hospital._ Castle decided, a small smile on his face as he closed his eyes once again. Through his foggy brain, distant, quiet alarm bells began ringing. _Hospital?_ He furrowed his brow. _Why am I in a hospital? _Castle tried to figure it out, but his mind was exhausted. Slowly, the warmth of his hospital bed enveloped him, soothing his skin and forcing him back under.

* * *

Rippner held Kate in his arms, holding a taser to her body while she writhed under its electric pulse. She was screaming, her mouth open in unimaginable pain and her eyes searched the room wildly, looking for him.

"Castle!" she screamed. "Help me, Castle!"

Castle tried. He tried everything; punching, kicking, screaming, swearing. But nothing happened. He was stuck in a silent, immovable state. Frozen by his own mind. His insides shrieked at him, dug into him like knives. Every fibre of his body demanded that he help her. But he couldn't.

The snapping of the taser continued, and the never ending scream of Kate Beckett rang in his ears as he watched the life leave her body.

Suddenly the noise stopped and Rippner dropped Kate to the floor. The murderer sauntered over to Castle, his sadistic smile dripping with blood. He pulled a knife from his jacket and it glistened with red liquid.

"This is the knife I killed her mother with, and it's the knife that will now slice through her skin and end her life, forever," Rippner said in a sing-song voice. He smiled, and blood now gushed out of his mouth and pores.

Castle found his voice, and began yelling with all his might, swear words he didn't even know existed leaving his mouth in a steady stream of expletives.

Rippner laughed, his voice echoing throughout the dingy little space they were in. Leaning over Kate's body, he sat her up against the wall in a familiar pose.

Castle was looking at Joanna Beckett. But slowly, right in front of his eyes, Joanna Beckett morphed into her daughter, now in the exact same spot as she was almost twenty years ago.

Rippner drew back, preparing to stab Kate. The same Kate who made sarcasm look like an art. Kate, who graced him with her beautiful smile every morning. Kate. His, Kate.

"No!" Castle shouted, the one word lasting five years of partnership and fifty future years of love.

His exclamation continued to sound as Rippner thrust the knife into Kate's body, Once. Twice. Three times.

She slumped over even more, blood erupting out of her wounds in a steady stream.

Castle's voice gave out, hoarse from use. Tears ran down his face as he repeated her name, over and over.

* * *

"Castle," Esposito shook the man tossing and turning in the hospital bed in front of him.

Castle's eyes shot open, "Kate!" He whipped his head towards Esposito, his eyes wild and crazy, "Where is she?" he asked, gripping Javier's collar and pulling him close. "Tell me where she is or I swear,"

"Castle, it's me. Esposito. Kate's fine, she's in another room," Javier said, his hands raised in defence.

Castle didn't let go of him, but instead drew him closer, his nightmare overpowering his sense of logic. He spoke in a deadly whisper, "Take me to her, now."

* * *

Kate held her hands to her mouth in shock at the news she'd just been given. "Are you sure?" she asked the doctor for the hundredth time.

"I'm surprised as well. Under the circumstances, this is extremely abnormal. You're a fighter, Kate," he smiled. "Both of you are."

"Can I see him?" Kate asked.

"Mr. Castle is in critical condition, but I'll see what I can do," the doctor said, picking up his clipboard and leaving her room.

Kate surveyed the damage inflicted on her body. Her wrist was sitting in a hard cast, the surgeon had worked a miracle and it looked like she would make a full recovery. Other than that, her injuries were fairly mild. Some bruising, moderate hypothermia and a Grade Three concussion, nothing she hadn't experienced before.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She would kill for a hot bath.

An unexpected wave of giddiness swept through her, leaving her fingers tingling.

Before she could give it any more thought, Castle appeared by the door, leaning heavily on Esposito and looking beyond haggard.

"Oh my God, what the hell are you doing?" Kate asked.

"Kate," Castle breathed. He pushed Esposito off of him and stumbled towards her bed. He leaned into her and held her close. "I'm so glad you're ok," he whispered.

Esposito drummed his fingers on his jeans awkwardly, then made a comment about coffee and quickly left them alone.

Kate lifted the covers, "Get in."

Castle happily obliged, sighing in relief as his head touched the pillow and his world slowly returned to normal.

"What are you trying to do, kill yourself?" Kate murmured, feeling his calloused hands entwined in her soft ones.

"I needed to see you," Castle said innocently.

"Castle," Kate started.

"Dad!" Alexis shouted, running into the room and encasing her father in a fierce hug. She pulled away after several moments, tears coursing down her cheeks. "I thought I'd never see you again," she said before beginning to sob.

"Honey, it's ok," Castle hushed. "Shh, I'm right here. I'm ok."

"Oh, Richard," Martha approached him with her hands spread. She pulled him into a hug, "We were so worried."

Kate moved over as much as she could to accommodate everyone, but the bed was only made for one person and between her and Castle, it was already crowded.

"Oh, Kate, honey you look terrible," Martha exclaimed.

Kate made a face, "Thanks, Martha."

Not noticing her verbal mishap, Martha returned her attention to her son. "What happened?"

"It's a long story, Mother. I'd rather not discuss it right now," Castle said, making eyes at the daughter that wouldn't let go of his hand.

Alexis' blue eyes shook, and more tears fell as she took in the state of her father. "Dad, are you sure you're feeling ok? You don't need a nurse or something?" she asked, her care-taking instincts making her antsy.

"Alexis, I'm fine. Why don't the two of you go get something to eat? Ooh, I know. I'd like a coffee and something out of the cafeteria that isn't too grey or mushy. Could you do that for me, sweetheart?" Castle asked, pulling out a smile.

Alexis nodded, reeling in her tears.

Martha took her hand, "Come on, kiddo." As she led Alexis out of the hospital room, Martha turned her head to her son and gave him a tender look.

Castle responded by mouthing, "Love you, mom."

She smiled with a slight eye roll and continued on her way to the cafeteria.

Kate looked at Castle, "That's sweet."

"She's nice right now, but I'm never going to hear the end of this," Castle said with a raised eyebrow, watching his mother and daughter enter the elevator down the hall.

"Hear the end of what?" Kate asked incredulously, "How could she possibly hold getting kidnapped by a serial killer over your head?"

"Oh no, it's not that," Castle said quickly. "It's the sharing of the bed situation."

"Castle, we share a bed all the time," Kate smirked.

"Yes but now, she gets to bring it up," Castle said with a cocky tilt of his head.

"Castle," Kate said, her mind elsewhere.

"Yeah?" he asked.

Kate's heart started to race, unsure of what he'd say. What if he got angry? Decided to leave her? She couldn't be alone again. Not after she knew what it was like to be with him.

"Hey," Castle brought her out of her reverie. "What is it? You can tell me."

Kate's eyes cautiously met Castle's.

"I'm pregnant."


	14. Chapter 14

"Castle," Beckett sat up suddenly, her pyjama pants soaking wet.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Castle asked, forcing his body awake at Kate's urgent tone of voice.

"I think my water just broke," Kate said. Pain suddenly sliced through her body, "Oh, God!" she hissed, her body clenching up.

"Ok, it's ok. Let's get you out of bed," Castle said, his mind travelling back to the night Alexis was born.

"No, Castle, I can do it myself," Kate said, stubbornly swinging her legs off of the side of the bed and standing up with a small grunt of exertion.

Castle was by her side in an instant, holding her waist and helping her to the front door.

"I can walk on my own," Kate pushed his hand off of her, "I'm not dying."

"Ok, just trying to help," Castle said defensively.

Kate let out a small cry of pain as another contraction forced its way through her body.

Castle winced, "You ok?" He pressed the down button to call the elevator.

Kate spoke through clenched teeth, "Do I look like I'm ok?"

"Right. Sorry," Castle pressed the elevator button again, cursing at how long it was taking to arrive.

Finally, the doors swung open with a ding. Kate and Castle rode it down until arriving at the parking garage.

"You wait here and I'll get the car," Castle said, scrounging for his keys.

Kate closed her eyes and breathed heavily, "Hurry the hell up."

Castle jogged to the car and climbed in, racing to where he left Kate. He held the door open for her as she got into the car, her stomach protruding through her extra large T-shirt.

Castle put the car back into drive and took off, racing towards the hospital. "We should have taken the squad car," Castle remarked. "The sirens would have come in handy."

"Castle?" Kate said.

"Yeah?" he responded, turning his head towards her expectantly.

"Shut up," she said, her eyes closed.

"Right," Castle drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

The emergency sign of the hospital glowed blue as Castle roared up beside it. "We have arrived!" he announced.

Kate could barely complete a convincing eye-roll as her body shook in discomfort.

Castle helped her out of the car and called for a nurse.

"You put me in a wheelchair and I swear to God, Rick," Kate threatened.

"Yes, she's been having contractions about 6 minutes apart," Castle spoke with the nurse, ignoring Kate's complaints.

"Hi, Kate? the nurse introduced herself. "It looks like your baby is ready to come out, so we're going to have to take you in to the maternity ward right away. I'm going to have to seat you in a wheelchair, is that alright?"

"It's fine," Castle answered for her.

Kate fixated her best death glare onto Castle as the nurse quickly brought over a wheelchair. She sat in it, and gasped as her baby knocked on the door once again.

"You're doing great," Castle said, stroking her hand.

"Don't patronize me," she retorted. The effect was lost as her voice wavered at the end of the sentence.

Arriving at the delivery room, the nurse efficiently settled Kate into the hospital bed. After checking that everything was in order, the nurse left with a clipboard to bring in the doctor.

Castle stroked Kate's hair. "How's it going?"

"I'm ok," she breathed. Her green eyes looked up at him, "It's really happening, isn't it?"

Castle grinned, "Yeah, it is."

"What if I'm a terrible mother?" Kate asked, panic suddenly washing over her.

Castle's heart broke, "Oh, Kate. You're going to be the most amazing mother the world has ever seen," he smiled at her. "Ok? You'll be fantastic."

Kate nodded, and swallowed. "Don't leave, ok?"

Castle nodded, "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

Kate shook her head, "No, I mean you can't leave. You can't leave me with this baby. You have to be here. Do you promise?"

Castle smiled and knelt down beside her. "Always."

* * *

A tiny wail pierced the delivery room, and the Kate fell back against the bed, thoroughly exhausted.

"Say hello to your little girl," the doctor smiled, handing the baby to her dad.

Castle held his daughter in his arms with the biggest smile on his face. He studied every inch of her, pleased to note that she had his nose and her mother's sparkling eyes.

The little baby opened her mouth, about to let out a wail as Castle shifted her in his arms.

"No, no," Castle comforted. "Shh. I'm here. Daddy's here." He looked into the little girl's eyes and whispered gently, "I'll never let you go."

"Can I see her?" Kate asked, breaking the moment between Castle and his second daughter.

"Of course," Castle said, still fixated on his little girl. "Let's go see mommy." He gently placed the baby into Kate's arms.

Kate gently pulled the blanket down away from her daughter's chin. "She's beautiful," Kate whispered.

"She takes after her mother," Castle said, kneeling down beside her.

"I wish my mom were here to see this," Kate bit her lip.

"I know," Castle held Kate's hand, rubbing small circles on her palm. "But your dad and Alexis are on the way. This little one didn't give us much warning," Castle fingered his daughter's small fist. "So they're hurrying."

"What about Martha?" Kate murmured.

"She'll be here tomorrow. She's flying in from LA, remember?"

"Mmhmm," Kate stroked her baby's hair. "I remember."

"What are we going to name her?" Castle asked.

Kate furrowed her brow. "I don't know. I thought you had a list?"

"I threw it out. Figured I'd meet her first," Castle said. He thought for a moment, "How about Riley?"

Kate scrunched up her nose, "I don't know..."

"Ok... Abigail?"

"I like Emma," Kate suggested.

Castle looked at the sleeping baby girl wrapped in her mom's arms. "Perfect."

Kate looked from her daughter to Castle and couldn't help but smile. A little family. Her little family.

Castle cleared his throat, "I've been trying to decide on a good time to bring this up, and I wanted to ask you something, Kate."

She looked at him, confused. "What is it?"

"Apples," Castle said loudly.

Kate cocked her head with a grin, "I don't..." She broke off her sentence with a gasp as three nurses came into the room, their arms filled with different items. Roses, two fizzling glasses and a violin.

"Castle," Kate breathed.

"I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. Every day your smile would bring me more joy than I knew existed."

The violinist started playing.

"You are my light, my angel. You inspire me to be more than who I am. When I look at you, I see the love of my life. My one and only. My forever," Castle smiled softly. "Kate Beckett. Would you make me the happiest man in the world, and marry me?" Castle pulled out a ring, it's shape simple and elegant.

Kate put her hand to her mouth in shock, tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes, yes of course I will," she broke out into a smile.

Castle's heart swelled as he leant over and kissed her, the nurses clapping behind them.

Castle placed the roses beside her bed and handed her a glass of bubbly liquid. "It's sparkling cider," he winked.

"Castle, I don't know what to say," Kate said, staring at the ring on her finger, then at the slumbering child in her arms.

"Don't say anything," Castle smiled, leaning over to kiss her again.

Kate broke away, "I love you."

"I love you," Castle smiled, a twinkle in his eye that she'd never seen before.

Kate raised her glass, careful not to jostle her daughter. "To forever."

"To forever," Castle agreed.

The glasses clinked together, locking a silent promise into place; never to be broken.

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end! I hope you all enjoyed my story, and if I could make a request for anyone out there who's been reading to leave a review and let me know if this was a good 'Castle' fic. It's my first time writing Castle and it's certainly been a learning process! If anyone had any particular likes/dislikes regarding the story, characterizations, etc. Please let me know so that my next Castle fic will be a success :) **

**Thank you again for reading! And to all my reviewers (you know who you are), I give you a special thank you. Your comments kept me motivated and made me smile!**

**Until next time**


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